Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography Practice Exam

What type of culture do folk stories and myths represent?

1. Material culture

2. Mentifacts

3. Artifacts

4. Traditions

The correct answer is: Mentifacts

Folk stories and myths represent a category often referred to as mentifacts. Mentifacts encompass the non-material components of culture, particularly the ideas, beliefs, values, and stories that shape a society's worldview. Folk tales and myths transmit cultural norms and collective memories, serving to unify a community and provide moral lessons or explanations of natural phenomena. In this context, mentifacts highlight how these stories are central to cultural identity, embodying communal values and historical narratives that are passed down through generations. They are contrasted with artifacts, which are tangible items of material culture, and traditions, which encompass customs and practices but may not exclusively relate to the belief systems encapsulated in folk stories and myths. Material culture refers to the physical objects created by a society, while traditions involve the broader set of practices and rituals that occur within a culture. Therefore, folk stories and myths are most accurately classified as mentifacts due to their role in shaping and conveying the intangible aspects of cultural identity and understanding.